(1) Field of the Invention
This invention is concerned with machines for lasting side portions of shoes.
(2) Prior Art
One machine for lasting side portions of shoes comprises a shoe support arrangement, by which a last carrying a shoe upper and an insole can be supported, adhesive applying means, means for effecting relative movement, in a direction extending heightwise of a shoe supported by the shoe support arrangement, between the shoe support arrangement and the adhesive applying means, between an operative condition of the adhesive applying means, in which said means contacts the insole of a shoe supported by the shoe support arrangement, and a retracted condition of said means. The machine also comprising means for effecting relative movement in a direction extending lengthwise of a shoe supported by the shoe support arrangement, between the shoe support arrangement and the adhesive applying means, the adhesive applying means comprising two nozzles arranged, when in operative condition, to operate along opposite sides of a shoe supported by the shoe support arrangement and being movable in a direction extending widthwise of such shoe, thus to apply adhesive progressively between lasting marginal portions of the upper and corresponding marginal portions of the insole of such shoe, while following the edge contour thereof, as relative lengthwise movement is effected as aforesaid. The machine further comprising side lasting instrumentalities by which the lasting marginal portions of such shoe can be wiped over the corresponding marginal portions of the insole and pressed thereagainst, thus to secure said portions together by the adhesive applied therebetween.
There is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,840 a machine of the type referred to above, in which the nozzles are supported, for pivotal movement, the arrangement being such that, when the nozzles are to be moved to their operative condition, they are first centralized on the block by engagement with stop means, one for each nozzle, mounted on the block, while the block itself is caused to pivot, by the actuation of a selected one of two piston-and-cylinder arrangements arranged to operate on the block at opposite sides of the pivot thereof, thus to bring the nozzles into an offset position, i.e. to one side or other of the longitudinal center line of the machine. The particular piston-and-cylinder arrangement selected to be so actuated is determined according to whether the shoe to be operated upon is a left or a right. With the nozzles in such offset position, they are moved into operative condition, whereafter the actuated piston-and-cylinder arrangement becomes de-actuated, thus leaving the block free to pivot without constraint thereby enabling the nozzles supported thereby to be moved in a direction extending widthwise of the shoe bottom. At the same time, the nozzles are urged outwardly from one another so that, as lengthwise relative movement is effected between the shoe support arrangement and the adhesive applying means, the nozzles are caused to follow the edge contour of the shoe bottom. In so following the edge contour, it may be that one or other nozzle is brought into engagement with its associated stop means; in such a case, the nozzle will then be effective through its associated stop means, to cause the block to pivot bodily. It will thus be appreciated that the arrangement for enabling the nozzles to follow the edge contour, while at the same time allowing the nozzles to be initially moved into an operative condition, in a desired offset position, is relatively complicated, and furthermore requires separate motor means for controlling the position of the block and for controlling the initial position of the nozzles in relation to the block, the second such motor means also serving to control the widthwise movement of the nozzles as they follow the edge contour of the shoe bottom as aforesaid.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved machine for lasting side portions of shoe uppers in the operation of which the arrangement referred to hereinbefore is significantly simplified while achieving the same ends.